Aesop's Fables, translated by Laura Gibbs (2002)

Once upon a time, the dogs sent ambassadors to Jupiter to ask him to
improve the conditions of their life and to save them from being mistreated
by people who fed them nothing but bread that was full of bran, compelling
them to satisfy their hunger with unspeakable filth. The ambassadors set
out on their mission but were hardly swift of foot: instead they sniffed
for food in heaps of manure and did not even come when called. With considerable
difficulty Mercury found them at last and dragged them into heaven. The
dogs were wild with excitement but when they glimpsed the face of mighty
Jupiter, they were stricken with fear and covered the floors of the palace
with shit. They were chased out with clubs and went outside, but Jupiter
would not let them depart. Meanwhile, the dogs back home were surprised
when their ambassadors did not return. After a while they concluded that
the mission must have ended in an embarrassing failure, so the dogs ordered
that other ambassadors be appointed in their place. Eventually they learned
the full story of their predecessors' shitty performance, and they were
afraid that something similar might happen once again, so this time they
stuffed the dogs' behinds full of perfume. The ambassadors received their
orders and were sent on their journey; as soon as they requested an audience
in heaven, it was granted. The supreme father of the gods took his seat
and as he rattled his thunderbolt, the universe quaked. The dogs were
startled by the sudden upheaval and promptly pooped, their shit now mixed
with perfume. The gods all demanded that the dogs pay for this outrage
so Jupiter issued the following decree before punishing the dogs: 'A king
cannot refuse ambassadors leave to depart, and it is hard to decide on
a penalty that suits their behaviour, but their insolent prank cannot
go unrewarded: accordingly, I will not prevent their departure, but I
condemn them to a starvation diet, so that they will be able to keep control
of their bowels. Meanwhile, those dogs who twice appointed such incontinent
incompetents as their ambassadors will forever be humiliated by mankind.'
As a result, dogs of this later age are still on the look-out for their
ambassadors, so whenever a strange dog crosses their path, they take a
whiff of his behind.

Source:
Aesop's Fables. A new translation by Laura
Gibbs.
Oxford University Press (World's Classics): Oxford, 2002.
NOTE: New
cover, with new ISBN, published in 2008; contents of book unchanged.